Trump ‘urged Australian PM to help locate origin of Russian investigation’

DONALD TRUMP reportedly urged the Australian prime minister to help with a US investigation that may have brought political benefits to the American president.

The New York Times reported that Mr Trump used a phone call to urge Scott Morrison, the Australian leader, to help William Barr, the US attorney general, on an investigation he was running.

Mr Barr was looking into the origins of the Russian election meddling probe, which long hung over the Trump presidency. Mr Trump has argued the investigation, which looked at links between the Trump campaign and Russia, was launched inappropriately by the Obama administration before the 2016 election. The White House and the Australian government did not immediately comment.

It would be the second time Mr Trump has privately urged a world leader to act over an investigation that was likely to politically benefit himself.

Last night, impeachment proceedings triggered by another of Mr Trump’s telephone calls, with Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the Ukrainian leader, continued to move forward at pace. Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trump’s lawyer, was issued with a subpoena by Democrats in the House of Representatives who are leading the impeachment inquiry. Mr Giuliani, who has openly called for Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden, the Democrat presidential hopeful, was ordered to hand over communications and other relevant documents by Oct 15.

Mr Trump has suggested the Democrat leading the impeachment inquiry should be arrested for treason as he demanded a meeting with the anonymous whistle-blower whose complaint helped uncover the Ukrainian scandal.

Twice in 24 hours the US president said Adam Schiff, the congressman who as chairman of the House intelligence committee is driving the inquiry, may have committed treason, as he lashed out at political opponents and the media. During a blizzard of tweets dismissing the threat of impeachment, Mr Trump wrote: “I want Schiff questioned at the highest level for fraud and treason... In addition, I want to meet my accuser, who presented second and third-hand information.”

The Democrats are pushing ahead with the impeachment inquiry, with key state department and intelligence figures expected to be interviewed by the House intelligence committee within days. A vote on impeachment is expected before Christmas.

Lawyers for the whistle-blower, whose complaint about Mr Trump’s attempts to get the Ukrainian president to investigate Mr Biden triggered the impeachment proceedings, have expressed fears over the individual’s safety. Andrew Bakaj, lead attorney for the whistle-blower, wrote in a letter to Joseph Maguire, acting director of national intelligence, that he has “serious concerns” for his client’s “safety”.

He also claimed a $50,000 “bounty” for any information about the whistleblower’s identity had been issued.